Rosedene Nurseries

18/07/22

As temperatures soar to record levels in the North East, a Tees Valley nursery provider is offering top tips to keep children safe in the sun.

Rosedene, which has 10 settings across the region and North Yorkshire, is urging parents to take the impending heatwave seriously and not to ignore advice around hydration and keeping cool.

Alice McCullagh, director at Rosedene, said: “Young people, particularly babies and nursery age children, are incredibly vulnerable during extreme weather. They can become dehydrated very quickly through perspiration, which can be very frightening for their grown-ups, and can, in extreme cases, require hospital treatment.”

Rosedene’s advice to carers of young children is:

• Keep hydrated – keep offering the child drinks or ice lollies, particularly if they’re active or visibly perspiring. For younger babies, you could also offer a muslin cloth soaked in water to suck on or an ice lolly made from breastmilk or formula.
• Stay inside – it might seem like a waste of a beautiful day, but from midday to late afternoon, the temperatures will peak, and this is the most dangerous time to be out. Choose indoor activities like reading books, puzzles, or building a nice, shady den to have fun while keeping cool.
• Create homemade AC – if you don’t have air conditioning, get a bowl of ice and put it in front of a desk fan. The ice will cool down the air before it circulates round the room. Avoid pointing the fan directly at a young baby, because just as they can’t regulate their temperature with the heat, the fan might make them too cold.
• Mop brows with tepid flannel – an ice-cold compress might seem like just the thing to freshen up hot skin, but it could cause children to go into shock due to a dramatic change in temperature. Instead, use a tepid flannel or encourage more hydration.
• Be extra vigilant in paddling pools – a shady paddling pool can be a perfect place to cool off, but always give 100 per cent attention if you are looking after a child in water. A child can drown in as little as 2cm of water, so you can’t afford to get distracted if your little one is having a splash around.
• Remember your sun safe basics – light clothing, high SPF sunscreen, hats with peaks and neck covers, and only travelling if needed.

Alice said: “It’s essential that we take extra care of our little ones during the heatwave to make sure they stay safe. These temperatures are unprecedented and the very young and old are the most at risk of coming to harm.

“Our team are happy to help any families that are unsure about how to keep safe in the heatwave, and the children at Rosedene will, of course, be keeping cool while they explore and play.”

Rosedene Nurseries has achieved an ‘Outstanding’ rating from the regulator Ofsted for many of its childcare services.

ENDS

NEWS RELEASE: ISSUED ON BEHALF OF ROSEDENE NURSERIES

CONTACT: Josh Mason on 01325 363436

Notes to editors:

Rosedene Nurseries is a family-owned nursery group which first opened in the 1960s. Under directors John and Clare, the business has grown from a single nursery in 1993 to a group of 10.

Rosedene Nurseries has achieved an ‘Outstanding’ rating from the regulator Ofsted for many of its childcare services.